Gaillardia plant named ‘Sun Devil’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Gaillardia  plant named ‘Sun Devil’ characterized by a very compact habit, tubular ray florets of dark red tipped with yellow orange, and excellent vigor.

Botanical denomination: Gaillardia×grandiflora.

Variety designation: ‘Sun Devil’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofGaillardia×grandiflora and given the cultivar name ‘Sun Devil’.Gaillardia is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar is a thirdgeneration seeding originating from a planned breeding program to createnew dwarf Gaillardia. The exact parents are unknown, unreleased,proprietary plants.

Compared to Gaillardia ‘Fanfare’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,892), the newcultivar is more compact.

Compared to Gaillardia ‘Frenzy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,943), the newcultivar is more compact and has less red color in the ray florets.

Compared to Gaillardia ‘TNSF’ (U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No.13/200,257), the new cultivar has smaller inflorescences with more redcolor in the ray florets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new Gaillardia cultivar is distinguished by:

-   -   1. a very compact habit,    -   2. tubular ray florets of dark red tipped with yellow orange,        and    -   3. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by divisionand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows Gaillardia ‘Sun Devil’ in full bloom as a 6 month old in a1 gallon container grown in full sun in late July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Gaillardia cultivarbased on observations of 6-month-old specimens growing in one galloncontainers outside in full sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 on theUSDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. inAugust to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall inCanby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. Thecolor descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural SocietyColour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 3 to 9.        -   Size.—Grows to 30 cm wide and 24 cm tall to top of            inflorescences.        -   Form.—Basal clump, with about 6 main stems from the base.        -   Vigor.—Excellent.        -   Roots.—Fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,            ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from            stem cuttings.-   Stem:    -   -   Type.—Ascending.        -   Size.—10 mm wide at the base and grows to 8 cm long to            flowering branches.        -   Number of stems from the crown.—About 6 main stems, each of            these branch at every node.        -   Internode length.—5 to 10 mm.        -   Surface.—Pubescent.        -   Color.—Yellow Green 147C.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—Simple.        -   Shape.—Oblanceolate.        -   Arrangement.—Alternate.        -   Size.—Grows to 10 cm long and 2.2 cm wide.        -   Margins.—Entire.        -   Venation.—Pinnate.        -   Apex.—Acute.        -   Surface texture.—Pubescent on both sides.        -   Petiole.—On basal leaves, grows to 3 mm long and 2 mm wide,            pubescent, Yellow Green 147C.        -   Color.—Top and bottom sides Green 147A with main vein Yellow            Green 147D.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—Stalked terminal heads, daisy type.        -   Peduncle.—Grows to 9 cm long and 3 mm wide, pubescent,            Yellow Green 147B.        -   Size.—Grow to 7.5 cm wide and 4 mm deep.        -   Immature.—2 cm deep and 3 cm wide, bowl-shaped with            phyllaries and ray florets cupping upwards, ray florets            tubular, pubescent, Yellow 11A tinted Yellow Green 145A on            the top ⅓ with bottom ⅔ Greyed Red 178A, disc 17 mm wide and            Greyed Purple 187B on outer half, center Yellow Green 145A.        -   Receptacle.—Disc shaped, becoming 5 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep,            Yellow Green 145D.        -   Phyllary.—About 40 in number, cupping upwards; grow to 30 mm            long and 8 mm wide, lance-attenuate, margin entire, tip            acuminate, pubescent and Green 137A on both sides.        -   Disc.—Conic, deeper with maturity, 30 mm wide and becoming            15 mm deep with maturity, Greyed Purple 187B.        -   Lastingness.—Each inflorescence 7 to 14 days on the plant.-   Florets:    -   -   Arrangement.—Radiate.        -   Ray florets.—Grow to 30 mm long and 25 mm wide, about 23 in            number with no pistil or stamen, pubescent outside and            glabrous inside, tubular and three to four lobed; lobes            oblong, 12 mm long and 7 mm wide, margins entire, with the            tips notched; tube 20 mm long and 1 to 5 mm wide; back side            color Greyed Purple 183A on bottom of tube to 182A on top of            tube and up into the ¾ of the lobe with Yellow 12A on top ⅓            of lobes, inside color is Red 53A except at top where Red            47A and up into ¾ of the lobe with Yellow 12A on top ⅓ of            lobes.        -   Disc florets.—With stamen and pistil, about 140 in number,            17 mm long and 3 mm wide, tubular; corolla 9 mm long and 3            mm wide, 5 lobed, pubescent outside and glabrous inside,            Greyed Purple 187A on lobe tips to Red 53B on top ⅓ to            Greyed Purple 185B on middle ⅓ to Yellow Green 145D on            bottom ⅓; pistil 1, ovary 4 mm long, hairy, Yellow Green            145D, style 4 mm long, White 155A, with extruding 2-branched            stigma, 5 mm long, Greyed Purple 187A; stamen 5, 7 mm long,            Greyed Orange 165C, anthers 5 mm long, pollen Yellow Orange            15A.        -   Bloom period.—June through September in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—Light, Chrysanthemum-like.        -   Seed.—None seen.        -   Fertility.—Infertile.-   Disease and pests: Insect and disease resistance is believed to be    typical for the genus.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Gaillardia plant as herein illustratedand described.